Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was donated to the Law School by Edward H. Deets III, son of Mr. Deets, in May of 2018.

Biographical / Historical

Edward Henderson Deets, Jr., was born 12 April 1926 in Pulaski, Tennessee. His parents were Edward Henderson Deets and Nelle Paterson Deets. In 1949, he married Elizabeth Virginia Taylor. He had two children, Betsy Deets and Edward Henderson Deets, III.

Mr. Deets served as an Air Navigator V-12 from July 1943 to February 1944. In March of 1944, he joined the Navy V-5 Program as Commissioned Ensign USNR – Air Navigator. From August 1945 to July 1946 he was an Air Navigator in the Pacific. In 1946, he joined the U.S. Naval Reserve. From 1959-1962, he was Commanding Officer, Naval Electronics Division 5-2. He retired from the Naval Reserve in 1966.

Mr. Deets was a 1951 graduate of the School of Commerce, and a 1953 graduate of the School of Law at the University of Virginia. In June of 1953, he began to practice law in the Courthouse in Charlottesville, in partnership with Robert E. Taylor (L' 1931) forming the firm of Taylor and Deets. [See: Announcement card, June 15, 1953). On November 1, 1957, they merged with Thomas J. Michie and John T. Camblos, forming the law firm of Michie, Taylor, Camblos and Deets, with offices on Market Street in Charlottesville. In 1963, Mr. Deets and Lewis A. Martin (L' 1951) left the firm to form their own.

Mr. Deets general practice of law emphasized real estate and commercial law, bankruptcy law, and managed properties.

He was President of the Charlottesville Albemarle Bar Association (1986-1987); a member of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Bar Association and Virginia State Bar (1953-2007); a member (1953-1962), Local President (1959-1960), and State Legal Parliamentarian of the Local Charlottesville-Albemarle Chamber of Commerce (1961-1962); a member and president of the Torch Club, Red Land Club, Charlottesville Rotary Club, and The Navy League. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the of the McIntire Public Library, a member of Charlottesville City Council Special Committees, and a member and president of the Board of Directors of the United Way-Thomas Jefferson Area.

Mr. Deets died on November 18, 2007.

Scope and Contents

This collection of memorabilia contains newspaper clippings, invitations, announcement cards, directories, programs.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Deets, Edward Henderson, Jr., 1926-2007
• Memorabilia
• photographs